Michael Vick and I have two things in common. We both passed through O’Hare International Airport the other day. And neither one of us should be taking snaps from Olin Kreutz any time soon.
It’s not that Vick should continue to be punished for his crimes. In America, we don’t prevent people who have broken the law from making an honest living after they have served their time. Nor should we.
If the person with the gavel and the black robe is square with Vick, and if NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is square with him, then Bears coach Lovie Smith should be.
Certainly, fan backlash would have to be considered. Any team that signs Vick will need to have ownership involved in the decision. If not for the spectacle of having someone who is reviled by a segment of the population as a potential face of your franchise, Vick already would have signed with a team.
But the issue now is how Vick would fit in with the Bears. If considered solely as a No. 2 quarterback to Jay Cutler, he probably is not worth the hassle.
Vick played in an offensive scheme similar to the one the Bears run from 2004 through 2006 in Atlanta. He did some good things but never was a fit in the base offense, and his passer rating for the three-year period was 75.5.
If Vick was called on to replace an injured Cutler, the Bears would have to change the emphasis of their offense to get the most out of him. That would be difficult for the rest of the unit. And out of character for the Bears coaching staff.
The fact Vick has missed a good chunk of training camp and all of the off-season basically means he could not be expected to run a full offense this year. It’s no secret around the league that Vick is known as a “rep guy,” meaning he needs practice repetitions, lots of them, to learn a playbook. He also never was known for his attention to detail.
Now, Vick could be outstanding if he were expected to be a “package” quarterback whose only responsibility would be to run maybe seven to 12 snaps a game. He could give a “Wildcat” scheme some sharp claws.
But given all the Bears have invested in Cutler, why would they want to reduce his snaps by close to 10 percent? No, Cutler needs to be on the field for every offensive play as long as he is healthy.
There are other teams that should be interested in Vick. His talents would be a great fit in Miami — the Dolphins should have handed him a contract as he was walking out of the courtroom. The Bills, yes. He could work with the Jaguars or Broncos. Maybe the Bucs.
Some of those teams may be afraid of Vick because he could become a disruptive force in the locker room, even if he behaves like an angel. Vick’s mere presence could create an internal quarterback controversy, if not an external one.
The Bears, however, should be looking at other backup quarterbacks. I’m not saying they can’t get better at the position — they most certainly can. If they can find one who is a better developmental prospect than Brett Basanez, they should sign him with an eye on the future.
Vick, though, is a short-term proposition. He likely will sign a one-year deal with the hope that he can use his performance as an audition for a starting job in 2010, most likely with another team.
Vick needs to prove he can be a good citizen. He needs to prove he can weather the storm that surely awaits him. And he needs to prove he still is the athlete he once was.
After a two-year layoff, his athleticism should not be taken for granted. Vick is 29 years old, and he is more dependent on his legs than any quarterback in the game. If those legs aren’t what they were, his value will be diminished significantly. Tina Turner notwithstanding, legs usually are the first thing to go.
He looked pretty nifty navigating the terminal at O’Hare on TMZ.com. Getting through NFL defenses, however, might prove a little more daunting.
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dpompei@tribune.com
